Sand Between the Toes
by Gie
Summary: A lovely RA WAFFy piece. Nerima is sweltering, and the Tendoke decide to head for cooler shores. But what is this about a bet? 112003.......Chapter 2!
1. Lesson 1

Sand Between the Toes 

by Gie (phowah@cs.com)   


Ranma and his familiars are not mine. But I can braid my hair into an   
all-too-familiar pigtail, soooo I claim that! *grin* 

Timeline? Who needs a steenkin' timeline? If you want one, you can   
put it after the series is over, and everything. *shrug* This story   
came to me during a nice long heatwave--actually, several   
heatwaves...lucky me, ne? But I'm not complainin'! It's summer, ne? 

Anyway, let's continue! 

Gie-chan   
  
  


Heavenly smells greeted the slowly-awakening Tendo household,   
but it was not a willing action from all. High humidity hung like a thick   
blanket for the past several days, making everyone feel uncomfortable   
and irritable, and when the meterologist said that it would last   
through the rest of the week, a quick unaminous decision to trek to   
the shore was voted upon. Although the tempting call of the salty,   
refreshing breezes was beckoning, it fell on deaf ears for one member   
of the household. 

Akane was the last to arrive at the table and was dressed in a   
similar manner as everyone else: as light and airy as possible. Or as   
scantily, in some cases. Falling into her normal spot, she threw the   
bare-chested boy next to her a dirty look. "Must be nice to run   
around naked." 

Ranma tossed back a questioning look and continued to inhale   
the bowl of rice. "Uh...yup." 

She snorted and took a long sip of the rapidly melting   
ice-water in front of her. "What time are we leaving?" 

"As soon as the breakfast table is cleaned up," Kasumi replied   
to her. 

Nabiki threw her sister a measured glance. "So what side of   
Hell did you wake up, Akane-chan?" 

"The side that will rip out your spleen and feed it to the koi,"   
she spat back. 

"Nabiki! Akane!" Kasumi admonished her younger siblings,   
"That is no way to talk to each other." 

"You're right, Kasumi, I'm sorry." Akane stood up roughly and   
leveled an evil glare to her accuser. "Next time I'll follow through   
with my actions rather than just toss empty threats." She turned   
away from the table and Kasumi's horrified gasp and stormed out of   
the room. A house-shaking slam informed all at the table that she   
locked herself away in her room. 

The sound of Genma and Ranma stuffing their faces were the   
only sign that others were in the room. Nabiki blinked, her cool   
exterior once again reforming after the hellish lashing given by Akane.   
"Well, isn't she little miss Mary Sunshine this morning." 

Kasumi waved a hand in front of her face, her cheeks red from   
more than the heat. "I have never seen her in this bad of a mood.   
The heat must be affecting her more than normal." 

"Nah, she's just actin' like an uncute tomboy, nothin' to be   
worried about. Ya know, normal." Ranma eyed the still full bowl of   
rice and miso soup next to him. "Do ya think she's gonna come back   
down?" He glanced back up to Kasumi, who shook her head. "Great!   
Then I'll take her share." He quickly switched his empty bowl for her   
full one. 

"Aren't you in the least bit worried about her, Ranma?" 

"Why? Should I be?" He raised a curious eyebrow to the   
middle Tendo daughter. 

"Well," she rolled her eyes and twirled a chopstick around her   
fingers. "You'll have to be the one to deal with her temper at the   
beach, ne? Wasn't the term of your bet to teach her to swim the   
next time we went to the beach? Or did you forget about that?" 

A funny look came over the young male's face as he finally   
remembered what Nabiki was talking about. Him and his ego had bet   
Akane that he would be able to master some technique or...something   
before she did. If he won, she'd have to stay out of the kitchen for a   
month. If she won, she'd have to teach her how to swim. It was   
awhile ago, and he had comepletely forgotten about it. Looks like   
Akane remembered... 

He swallowed and grimaced. "Does she really expect me to   
teach that brick how to float? You can only do so much...youch! What   
in the hell was that for, Oyaiji!" He glared at his father, who had   
conked him over the head with his elbow. 

"Don't insult your intended in such a horrid manner, Ranma! It's   
your responsibility to take up on any hole in her training, if you want   
her to stand by your side! Mold her into the proper martial artist her   
potenial is craving for!" Genma crossed his arms and nodded his head   
wisely. "Of course, you'll have to start at the beginning. I hear   
Jusenkyo is lovely this time of year..." 

"Saotome! You dare suggest that horrid place to train my   
daughter! And are you saying that her training is insufficent? That is   
an insult against me, friend." Soun glared daggers at the larger man. 

"No insult to you, Tendo. Just stating the obvious." 

"Saotome! How could you!" 

Nabiki turned away from the bickering fathers with a sigh.   
"They're almost as bad as Ranma and Akane. Hey, Kasumi," she fixed   
her brown eyes on the blue ones of her sister, "which beach are we   
going to this time?" 

"Well, Point Beach is closed to visitors due to a graduation   
ceremony taking place. So I thought, since the weather is going to be   
this way for several days, we could rent a cottage at Southshore."   
Kasumi stood up and started to clear away the dishes. 

"Kon'wa, minna!" Ukyou entered the room, a large box clutched   
to her side. "Hope you don't mind that I just came in, Kasumi." 

She shook her head. "Not at all, Ukyou-chan. We're just   
finishing up with breakfast, then we were going to head for the beach,   
since it is so hot." 

Ukyou's face lit up as she sat down next to Ranma, placing the   
okynomiyaki in front of him. He quickly dug in. Genma quickly tried to   
take his 'share'. "Really? That sounds so refreshing! Mind if I tag   
along? It gets extremely hot sitting in front of a grill all day long." 

"Oh, you poor dear! Of course, you're more than welcome."   
Kasumi smiled and left to go into the kitchen. 

Nabiki stood up from her spot. "We're going to be leaving in a   
few minutes, Ukyou. Why don't you meet us there? We'll be at Point   
Beach; the same one as before." 

Ukyou nodded and stood as well, giving Ranma a quick hug.   
"That sounds like a plan. See you later, Ranchan!" He grunted,   
snatching the last bite from his father's fingers. She waved to the   
others and left. 

Kasumi came back in the room. "Ukyou? Oh, I thought she was   
going to come with us?" 

"I told her to meet us there." Nabiki grinned and left the room   
to get ready. 

"Ranma, you better go get ready; we'll be leaving in a few   
minutes. Your swimsuits are in your top drawer." 

"Thanks, Kasumi." He stood up and gave her a quick smile,   
leaving the room, Genma following behind him. 

"Father, yours is on your bed. I am going to get dressed and   
coax Akane out of her bad mood." Kasumi left, leaving Soun in the   
room by himself. 

He blinked a few times, and then got up to change, as well. 

******* 

Half hour later, the four Tendos and the two Saotomes were   
on their way to find some cooling refreshment in the refreshing   
breezes of Southshore. 

Akane stared out the window, watching the rapidly moving   
scenery as it flashed by her, mere blurry blobs of color to her   
unfocused eyes. I really don't want to go to the beach... She glanced   
at the reflection of her fiancée in the window, who sat across from   
her. Their fathers were in another seat farther up, and Kasumi and   
Nabiki sat across the aisle. He had thrown a skimpy white tanktop   
over his once naked torso, and was wearing a pair of black swimming   
trunks with a bolt of white lightning zigzagging across the front. His   
eyes were closed as he took advantage of the lulling rhythm of the   
train's movements and the quietness of the ride. He probably doesn't   
even remember. 

She broke her gaze from him and turned it to the other   
occupants of the room. There weren't many other passengers in their   
car, only a few scattered groups, since the commuter rush was just   
about over. But most had the same idea as they, and were dressed in   
a similar fashion; they wanted to escape the hot city for the cool   
shores of the beach, as well. She sighed and turned her brown eyes   
back to Ranma, and was startled by the concerned look in his smoky   
blue ones. She frowned and turned back to the window. "What?" 

"Hey, is somethin' botherin' you? Not that I care, or nothin'."   
He stole a glance to the pair of females across the aisle, but they   
were both engrossed in magazines. And a quick glance over his   
shoulder let him know that their fathers were well out of hearing   
range. He turned back to Akane, who was still looking out the window. 

"Nothing is wrong." 

He hesitated. "Uh, you sure? You weren't actin' normal at the   
breakfast table." 

She let a sigh escape her lips and turned back to him, her   
brows furrowed in frustration. "You won't leave me alone until I tell   
you, will you?" 

"Uh, well, if you want me to, I will." He blinked a few times,   
confused by her mood. As of late, they had been getting along fairly   
well; the fights had gone down to a few spats here and there, and he   
hadn't taken a shortcut home via LEO in quite some time. And several   
times, they've stayed up through the wee hours of the morning, talking   
and laughing, and enjoying the other's presence. You could say that   
the level of chaos around him had dimimished to tolerable levels. Not   
that I'm complainin'. The peace is actually nice. After a few moments   
of silence, he cleared his throat. "So, are you gonna tell me?" 

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was just grouchy this morning,   
that's all. I haven't been sleeping very well in this heat, and I really   
didn't want to go to the beach today." 

"Well, I can understand the not sleepin', but I thought you   
liked the beach. At least you didn't mind the last time we went." 

"You mean when we shipwrecked on Prince Toma's Island?" Her   
eyebrow raised as a blush lit up the bridge of his nose. "Oh, yeah, I   
had a blast and a half." Ranma started to sputter out a reply, but she   
shook her head. "That's not what I mean, Ranma. I just..." she   
shrugged again. "It's kind of hard to get full enjoyment out of the sea   
if you can't enjoy it to the fullest, you know what I mean?" 

He blinked a few times. "Actually, I completely understand   
what you mean." Akane cocked her head to the side and he explained.   
"What do you think is in this bag?" He held up the backpack sitting   
next to him. 

"Towels?" 

He rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah, but this is also in there." He   
reached in and pulled out a deep green and black striped swimsuit. A   
female-cut suit. 

"Ahh..." 

"Yeah," he nodded with her, and put it back inside. "I have   
some waterproof soap I bribed off the old ghoul, so I'll be able to go   
swimmin' as a guy, but once that wears off, I'm gonna haveta change." 

"But at least you can enjoy the water in either form." She   
pointed out. 

"Well, yeah," he scratched his head, "but it's not the same, ya   
know? And besides, you're gonna be able to enjoy it just as much as   
me by the end of the day." 

"How will I be able to do that?" She scoffed at him, crinkling   
her nose. 

"Because I'm gonna show ya how to swim." He crossed his arms   
smugly. "Didya forget our bet?" 

"Nani?" She yelled, standing up. But she quickly sat back down,   
her face red with embarrassment when everyone turned her way.   
"What? You remembered?" 

He looked insulted. "Of course I did. Saotome Ranma never   
forgets a promise." 

"What about the time..." 

He held up a hand. "Don't even start, Akane." He narrowed his   
eyes. "Unless you don't want to learn?" 

"I do, I do! It's just that so many people have tried..." she   
sighed, slumping in her seat. 

"Well, that's because I haven't tried yet. And I never lose,   
ne?" He flashed her a confident smile. Slowly, she nodded,   
straightening up, her own smile spreading across her face. "All right!   
Now, that's what I like to see. If you think you're gonna lose before   
you start, you already lost, ne?" 

She nodded again. "Right." 

"Train 392, destination, Southshore Beach has arrived. Please   
wait until the train has come to a complete stop before debarking.   
Before you leave, please make sure you have all your belongings.   
Thank you and have a wonderful day." 

"Oh, we're here." She stood up, making sure she grabbed her   
bag. She held out a hand to Ranma. "Coming?" 

He glanced at the offered hand for a moment, and slowly,   
reached for it, clasping his long fingers around hers and pulled himself   
up. "Hai." He smiled and gave it a squeeze before letting go. She   
smiled back and left the car, him following directly behind her. 

Unbeknownst to them, Kasumi and Nabiki gave each other a   
meaningful glance before they followed in their path. 

****** 

After settling into the two-bedroom cottage they would be   
spending the night in, everyone who needed to changed into beach   
wear, and headed for the main attraction of the day. 

The beach was fairly crowded, as they had expected, since this   
was a popular spot for swimming, and the Tendo-ke searched for some   
time to find a decent spot to set up camp. After claiming their own   
section of the beach and setting up the chairs, unbrellas, and towels, a   
loud sigh of relief echoed from each of them. 

"Ah, this is the life," Ranma quickly ripped off his tank top and   
fell face down onto the large towel. "I feel better already." 

"The air is definitely nice. That breeze is refreshing." Ranma   
peeked open one eye to see Akane settle down beside him on the   
towel. His gaze wandered over her small frame and the even smaller   
swimsuit she wore. It was a two piece outfit, deep blue with white   
blotches scattered throughout. He intently followed the motion of   
her hands as she rubbed sun lotion on her legs. He smiled to himself   
and reclosed his eye quickly, in case she caught him looking. "This is   
definitely better than drowning in our sweat in Nerima." 

"Most definitely. Last one in the water is a wet panda, ne,   
Saotome?" 

"I resemble that remark, Tendo!" 

Akane smiled as she watched the fathers' race to the edge of   
the water. She blinked as she watched Genma enter the water and   
not change into his cursed form. "Did you give your father some of   
the waterproof soap, Ranma?" 

"Yeah, I couldn't bear to see him sweat in the thick coat of   
his." At Akane's giggle, he looked up, confused. "What's so funny?" 

"You know, bear, bear..." She sighed at his still confused look.   
"Oh, never mind." She flopped down, face-up, on the towel and put a   
pair of sunglasses on. 

He shook his head, not getting the joke, but couldn't help   
himself from talking a quick view of the flesh laid out next to him. He   
glanced up when Nabiki cleared her throat, blushing hotly at the   
knowing smirk spread across her features. "Um, I uh, oh never mind."   
He grunted and buried his face in his arms. 

"So easy." Nabiki shook her head. "Well, I'm going to check   
out the local scenery. Wanna come along, Kasumi?" She pulled the   
t-shirt off over her head and revealed to the public the golden bronze   
leaflet that covered her svelte frame. 

"I guess I could. Are you going to go into the water?" 

"Probably, but not very far out." 

"All right. Akane, are you going to go out soon?" 

She shook her head, not sitting up from her flat position. "Not   
for a bit. I want to soak up some sun first." 

"Then I can leave our belongings out?" 

"Of course. I'll be here for awhile. Have fun." The warm rays   
of the sun and the cooling breezes off the sea countered each other   
for a perfect day at the beach, and the pair of suntanning martial   
artists absorbed it all happily. 

After a few minutes, Ranma flipped over, gasping. "It's too hot   
to breathe that way." He grabbed a towel and wiped off the river of   
sweat from his face. He sat up, shielding his hands from the glare of   
the sun and looked into the water. He picked out the fathers jumping   
in the waves and the pair of sisters wading about knee deep in the   
water, several children surrounding them. He turned to the   
motionless figure next to him. "Hey, Akane, do you wanna go out into   
the water?" 

She shook her head slightly. "You can, if you want. I'm going   
to stay here and watch our stuff." She held her head up a bit. "You   
better put on some sunscreen, Ranma, or you're going to burn." 

"Nah, I'll be fine. I've never burned before." 

"Ranma," she sat up, frowning. "you'll be in a lot of pain later   
on." She patted the towel in front of her open legs. "Come here, and   
I'll do your back." He hesitated but sat down in front of her. "Give   
me your hand." He held it up and she squirted a generous amount of   
the warm cream into his palm. "Here, do your front." 

Carefully, she spread the burn blocker onto his back, making   
sure she got his shoulders, upper arms and the back of his neck.   
Several times she had to move his pigtail out of the way. She tried   
not to pay attention to the muscles that rippled under her fingers as   
she kneaded the cream into his smooth skin, but it was hard. Plus, it   
didn't help that she felt him stop moving, and unconsciously lean into   
her the longer she massaged the wiry cords. A blush, not from the   
sun, spread across her nose when she heard him let out a satisfied   
moan when she worked out a large knot. Slowly she ran her hands   
back up to his shoulders and gave them a small squeeze. With some   
hesitation she announced, "I'm done." 

"Already?" A small whine surprised her. "That felt really good,   
Akane. You give good back rubs." He shifted slightly and held up   
greasy white palms. "I still have some left. Turn around, and I'll do   
your back." 

She blinked, her blush darkening. "Ranma..." He smiled and   
made a circling motion. "O...okay." Quickly, she turned around, her   
spine stiff, baring her back to him. 

She closed her eyes tightly and choked back a gasp when his   
rough fingers sent electric tingles up and down her spine. Her head   
unconsciously fell forward when the nimble digits brushed away her   
hair and massaged her neck and shoulders. "That feel good?" His   
murmur against her ear tickled her insides, turning her into jelly. She   
felt his fingers tug at the strap that held her top closed and she sat   
back up, her spine once again a steel rod. She was about to lash out at   
him for his blunt motion, but he murmured again, his baritone making   
her stop mid-word. "Relax, Akane, I'm just making sure I get   
everywhere. I'm not doin' anything perverted." She closed her mouth   
and nodded. She felt his fingers dance up her spine and rested   
heavily on her slim shoulders. His breath against her ear told them   
how close their heads were. "I'm done." 

She nodded weakly. "Okay, thank you." 

The pair didn't move from the position they were in, but she   
felt his fingers flexing against her shoulders, and it sent wonderful   
chills up and down her spine. "Are you sure you don't wanna come out   
in the water with me?" 

She turned her head slightly, meeting his blue eyes, intense   
with an emotion she didn't want to name. "Are you going to give me my   
lessons now?" 

He shook his head slightly, and backed up, putting some space   
between them. "Not now. I'd rather do that when there are less   
people around ta laugh at your flailing." He winked at her, and   
immediately bolted down the beach, sand flying up behind him. 

"Ranma!" She cried out, but all she got in response was his   
laughter carried back on the sea winds. Akane watched as he dove   
into the water, emerging next to their fathers, still male, and   
immediately dunked his dad under the next rising wave. "Honestly!"   
She fell back down on the towel with a huff, but soon a silly smile   
creeped across her face as she remembered the feel of her hands on   
his skin, the soft moan echoing in her ears. And the blush returned   
full-kilter when her tummy tingled with his touch on her. She let out   
a sigh and closed her eyes. 

***** 

The rest of the morning and afternoon passed with lots of   
laughter and smiles from everyone. After the lunch of sandwiches   
and fruit that Kasumi had packed to bring along, Ranma finally   
convinced Akane to go into the water. They only waded out to chest   
deep, but the splashing and dunking quickly soaked them both from   
head to toe. After the drowning session, Ranma and Akane settled   
down in a fairly deserted spot of the beach to build one of the largest   
sandcastles ever seen. Their activity quickly gained them an audience   
of small children, and with their help, the empty spot became a small   
town of towers with shallow moats winding throughout the expanse of   
the sand. 

A growling sound echoed and Ranma covered up his noisemaker   
with a sheepish smile. He stood up, brushing off the layer of sand   
from his moist skin. "I'm gonna go get somethin' ta eat. Want   
anything?" 

Akane shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks." She nodded her   
head at the deep hole she was digging with the help of two young girls   
and their shovels. "I'm going to stay here and help finish Lake   
Toadie." She scrunched up her nose at the name one of the small girls   
insisted on calling the large puddle they were digging. 

"Gotcha." He smiled and jogged up the large beach to where   
the rest of the family was sitting. The pair of fathers had a travel   
set of Go, and were currently arguing about a legal play one of them   
made. He fell down next to Kasumi and started to riffle through the   
large basket. 

"Having fun, Ranma?" the elder female asked. 

He emerged with an apple in his mouth and a vine of grapes in   
his hands. "Yeah! We're really turnin' the beach into its own little   
town." He scratched his back and made a face at all the sand that fell   
off. 

Kasumi chuckled. "That's what happens when you get buried in   
the sand, Ranma." 

"Yeah, yeah. But they all teamed up on me," he tried to defend   
himself. "Didn't help that Akane did nothin' ta stop 'em." He turned   
his gaze to where she was still digging out 'Lake Toadie,' and he let a   
smile play upon his features as he watched her show one of the little   
girls the best way to dig. 

Both Kasumi and Nabiki saw that smile and they shared another   
meaningful glance between each other. "So, are you going to give   
Akane those swimming lessons sometime?" 

He nodded absently, not taking his eyes of the figure in blue   
and white. "Uh, yeah, later on." He quickly polished off the fruit and   
stood back up. "Thanks, Kasumi." The pair of females watched as he   
trotted down the beach to where the showers and rest rooms were. 

Kasumi smiled and turned her gaze back to Akane, who was now   
getting pelted by buckets of water that were supposed to be filling   
Lake Toadie. She laughed along with all the little children at Akane's   
feeble protests. "I'm glad she's feeling better. She really didn't want   
to go today." 

Nabiki shrugged and leaned back in her chair, pushed her   
sunglasses back over her nose. "I didn't think she was all too keen on   
coming, either, especially after that comment this morning." A shadow   
fell over her and she pushed her glasses down slightly to see the   
figure of a dark-haired male, his hands behind his back and a slightly   
nervous look on his tanned face. "Yes?" 

"Hi, I was standing over there and wondering if you wanted to   
go get an ice with me since you looked like you needed one." 

She turned to Kasumi, who was wisely ignoring her nervous   
guest as she had her nose in a book and sipping from a cool drink. She   
turned back to the guy and looked him up and down appraisingly. She   
smiled at the sweat that broke out on his forehead. "I suppose." She   
stood, sliding on a pair of sandals. "Your name is...?" 

"Oh, yeah, um, it's Seijitsu." He bowed slightly. 

She raised an eybrow. "Nabiki." She nodded back, ignoring the   
giggle behind the book. "Well, Seijitsu, now that you mentioned it, I   
am thirsty." 

He nodded. "Okay, let's go." The pair left. 

A few minutes later, Akane came back up to where Kasumi was   
sitting. She glanced around. "I thought Ranma was up here?" She sat   
down next to her sister and took a sip of her drink. 

"He was, but he left again." She pointed off to the right. "He   
went off in that direction. More than likely to wash off all the sand   
from earlier." 

She stood back up. "Okay, thanks, Kasumi." 

"Wait, Akane," the blue-haired sister turned a questioning look   
to long-haired one. "You might want to take along his things." She   
pointed to the knapsack. "He might need a change of clothing." 

Akane stared confusedly at Kasumi, but shrugged. "If you say   
so." She grabbed the bag and headed for the shower area. 

The eldest Tendo female smiled as she watched the youngest   
search for her fiancée. Her attention was diverted when a familiar   
growl was heard. "Saotome, have a heart! You smell like wet fur!" 

She shook her head at the sign the large, wet panda produced.   
*It's not my fault!* She turned back to her book with a smile. 

**** 

Akane kept her eyes open for the familiar tall male with black   
hair braided into a pigtail as she roamed around. "Ranma? Where are   
you? Ranma!" A hissing sound caght her attention as she passed the   
door for the men's showers. "Ranma?" 

"Akane! Man, I'm glad to see you! Come over here!" The door   
opened slightly and Ranma stuck his head out of the door. His   
redhaired, female head. 

"What are you doing female? Did the soap wear off? Why   
didn't you change back?" She hissed as she crept over to the door. 

Ranma spotted the bag in her hand, and his eye lit up with   
relief. "All right, you brought my stuff!" She opened the door up a   
little wider. "Here, hand it over." 

She tossed him the bag and he disappeared behind the door   
again. "Are you okay in there?" 

"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec." Akane quickly moved away from the   
door, ignoring the questioning looks the other people were giving her.   
She made sure she was in spotting distance from the door and waiting   
for Ranma to emerge. 

After a few moments, and a few male exclamations of 'There's   
a girl in here!' Akane sighed when Ranma came out dressed in the dark   
green one-piece suit he flashed her earlier on the train. "Thanks,   
Akane, you're a life saver." 

Akane crossed her arms. "Why didn't you just change back?" 

"The showers are all cold water," he explained, his frustration   
evident. "And I didn't think the soap was going to wear off this soon,   
so I didn't bring any clothes. If you didn't come along then, I was just   
gonna make a run for it." 

"Well, can you use the soap again?" she asked, a small amount   
of hope in her words. She had been enjoying the day immensely with   
his male form. 

"Yeah," he nodded, shouldering the pack, "but I'm gonna wait a   
bit, so it'll last for longer." he glanced around and spotted the ice   
cream booth. "Wanna get some ice cream?" 

"Sure." After they ordered their dessert, they walked along   
the path, looking in the different shops and restaurants they had to   
offer. They followed another path that led down to the edge of the   
water, and quietly walked along the shore. Not many people were   
around, since this part was not part of the public beach. Akane sat   
down on a large rock that jutted over the water, dangling her legs   
over the edge. She closed her eyes as the breezes played with her   
bangs. "It's nice here; quiet." 

"Hn." Ranma sat down next to her, leaning over his knees to   
stare into the water below. After a few moments of peace, he spoke   
quietly. "Akane, can I ask you a question?" 

"Sure, Ranma." She turned her gaze to look at him. He still   
was hunched over, staring into the water. 

"We're friends, right?" 

She blinked. "I hope so." She wondered where this was   
leading. 

"I consider us friends. Have for a long time, actually." He   
paused, wrapping his arms around his dangling legs so he was bent   
completely over. "Have you ever wanted to," he paused and she could   
see that he was wrestling with what he wanted to say by the play of   
emotions on his face. "Have you ever wanted to be more? More than   
just...friends?" He turned his head slightly, his ocean blue eyes wide   
with questions, and that same emotion she didn't want recognize   
earlier. 

"Ranma, I, uh..." she closed her mouth and turned away, to   
stare into the depths of the water below. "I've thought about it, yes,   
but I also thought about what everyone else would do and say if we   
did become more than...just friends." She sighed and traced a pattern   
in the air with her toes. "Have you?" 

He turned back to the water as well. "Yeah, I have." 

The quiet surrounded them once again, as they feel deep into   
their own thoughts about the delicate subject matter brought up.   
And when Akane spoke again, she finally voiced the question both were   
mulling over: "Do you want to become more than friends?" 

He glanced over at her, her brown eyes searching his own for   
the unvoiced answer, as he delved deep into hers. He swallowed hard,   
but nodded. "Yeah, I do." 

Her smile melted the hard lump in his throat, and his ears rang   
with her reply. "So do I. I've really enjoyed the past couple of   
months, Ranma. The talking, the not-fighting; it's been nice." 

The tension rolled off his face. "I thought so, too. An' I've   
been having a lot of fun, today, too. It's nice to just, well, play, with   
ya, ya know?" Akane nodded. "And, I've actually been thinking   
about...this...for some time, but I wasn't sure what you'd think of it." 

"Well, we are engaged, Ranma," she said and rolled her eyes at   
his snort. "It's not like if we forget about it and it'll go away. But, I   
am glad," her red cheeks got a little redder, "that you brought it up.   
I've been thinking about it for awhile, too." Her face got serious as   
she brought up another topic. "What about everyone else?" 

"What about them?" 

"What about our fathers? And the other fiancees? They'll flip   
out if they find out." She snorted. "Actually, I'm surprised that they   
hadn't shown up today to ruin our fun." 

He smirked. "Actually, after you stormed upstairs during   
breakfast, Ucchan showed up, and Nabiki sent her to Point Beach. An'   
Shampoo and the others are there, too. They were hired to cover the   
graduation party bein' held there. So I wasn't expectin' any of them   
to show up. And the fathers agreed to knock off the marrying crap   
for awhile." Akane's eyes widened and he nodded, his cheeks tinting   
pink at the thought. "Yeah, I sorta told them I was gonna talk to you   
soon about this stuff, and so they agreed to stop pushin'." 

"I was wondering why they haven't been in our faces about   
getting married lately." She pulled her knees up to her chin, and   
wrapped her arms around them. "But what are we gonna tell them? If   
we say anything resembling dating, they're gonna start insisting on a   
wedding." 

Ranma sat up as well, but turned to face Akane. "Well, we'll   
just see how it goes. I really want ta do this, Akane, I..." he blushed   
and turned his head away. "I really like you, Akane, a lot." 

"I really like you too, Ranma." Akane reached out and took his   
hand. His small fingers curled around hers and squeezed. She stood   
up, pulling him up with her. "Come on, the others are probably ready   
to eat dinner." 

"Okay." They started back down the path, but Ranma stopped   
after a few steps. Akane stopped a few steps ahead, their entwined   
fingers held out between each other. "Ya know, Akane, we're both   
girls, now." He glanced at their hands, blushing. 

Akane blinked and blushed as well, but firmly held onto his   
hand. "I don't mind, if you don't." Ranma shook his head hard. She   
grinned and squeezed his hand again. "You're Ranma, no matter what   
form you're in. And I like holding Ranma's hand." She smiled and   
turned forward again. "Come on, let's go." And the pair left, hand in   
hand. 

***** 

After a quick stop at a booth for some hot water, then the   
showers once again, the pair met up with their families under the   
shade of a large tree. "It's about time you got back," Nabiki sat next   
to an unidentified male, her arms crossed impatiently. "Where have   
you two lovebirds been? We looked up and down the beach for you." 

"We were just walking," Akane frowned. "Who's your friend?" 

She made introductions. "Seijitsu, this is my younger sister,   
Akane, and her fiancé, Saotome Ranma. He's going to be joining us for   
supper." 

"Nice to meet you," Seijitsu smiled. The newly-arrived pair   
smiled back in greeting, Akane going over to Kasumi, who held a pair of   
shorts and a shirt to throw over her suit. Ranma grabbed the tank   
top from earlier and quickly pulled it over his head. 

"Did you see Ukyou anywhere? I thought she was going to join   
us, but I haven't seen her at all." Everyone shook their heads, and   
Nabiki threw Ranma a knowing grin. He shook his head again. "Oh   
well, but now that the wanderers are back, we can go eat. Does   
anyone have any place in mind?" Kasumi asked, shouldering a small   
purse. 

Akane ran a brush through her hair. "Well, there was an   
Italian place on the boardwalk that sounded good." She glanced at   
Ranma. "It had an all-you-can-eat pasta bar." He lit up. 

Genma brightened up as well. "Sounds like a plan to me!" The   
seven of them headed for the restaurant. 

*** 

As they were eating, Kasumi asked Akane a question, "So, did   
Ranma get to teach you to swim, yet?" 

She shook her head. "No, not yet." She turned to him. "Are   
you going to?" 

But before he could answer, Seijitsu spoke. "If you want,   
Akane, I can show you. I'm a certified lifeguard." He quickly glanced   
concernedly at the choking Ranma. "Are you okay? I know the   
Heimlich maneuver, as well." Ranma just waved him off. He frowned   
down at his plate. 

"Really, a lifeguard?" Kasumi said, surprised. "That's hard to   
do. You must be a very good swimmer." 

"Well, I like to think I am. Today's my day off, but I normally   
lifeguard at this beach." He turned back to Akane. "Do you want me   
to show you? It's no problem." 

"I was gonna show her after supper, right, Akane?" Ranma   
narrowed his eyes at the wide-eyed Seijitsu. 

Akane rolled her eyes, but let a smile escape. "Thank you for   
the offer, Seijitsu, but I think I'll take Ranma up on his. It was   
actually part of a bet between him and I." She turned to look at   
Ranma, a smug smile on his face as he returned to inhaling his pasta.   
"But if he fails, I'll take you up on your offer tomorrow, okay?" She   
smirked inwardly when he started choking again. 

The new young man nodded, glancing warily at the red-faced   
Ranma. "Sure, Akane." The rest of the meal continued with no   
further events, save for some caught side-glances here and there. 

**** 

After dinner, Kasumi and the fathers retired to the cottage   
for the rest of the night; Seijitsu and Nabiki decided to hit the hot   
spots of the evening. And Ranma and Akane headed for the beach to   
start on her dreaded, but highly anticipated, swimming lesson. 

The sun was on its way to setting, but there was still enough   
light to see comfortably. There weren't many people on the sand, and   
even fewer in the water. Ranma started by pulling off his tank top.   
Akane began to get undressed as well. "Okay, now whatever I show   
you out here, or tell ya, I wantcha to promise me, Akane, that you're   
not gonna haul off and hit me, okay?" He rolled his eyes at her frown.   
"I'm just sayin' that because I know you and your temper. You're   
gonna have to trust me, Akane, otherwise this isn't gonna work out.   
We'll start off in fairly shallow water, so you don't have to worry   
about anything like that." He crossed his arms and stared at her. "Do   
ya promise to trust me?" 

She sighed and nodded. "I promise. But if you get me really   
mad, or you do something stupid, I can't promise not to." 

He frowned and nodded his head. "I guess that'll work." He   
waded into the water until it came to just below his waist, and on   
Akane, just above hers. "Okay, the first thing we're gonna do is float.   
He moved over to her and put an hand on her back, in between her   
shoulder blades. "Now I want you to relax. I'll be holdin' you at first,   
and when I think you got it, I'll slowly let go, okay?" She nodded. "All   
right now, lean back, and let my hands support you." She did, slowly,   
and Ranma's other hand came under her to push up on the back of her   
upper thighs. He could feel that her muscles were stiff as a board.   
"Relax, Akane, I'm not gonna let you go under." 

"It's hard, okay!" She frowned, her eyes focused upwards as   
she concentrated. 

He shook his head. "You're thinkin' too hard. Floatin' is one of   
the easiest parts of swimmin'. Also the least energy-consuming. Hmm,   
okay. I want you to start recitin' the English alphabet. Don't think   
about floatin', just say it." 

She blinked and mentally shrugged. "Okay." She let out a   
breath. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G..." Slowly, Ranma felt the tension go out of   
Akane's legs, and he moved his hands down them, and completely off. 

"H, I, J, K, L M, N, O, P..." He moved his free hand and pushed   
up her rear, but quickly removed it when she jumped. When she   
relaxed once again, he pushed on it again, alternating between her legs   
and the small of her back. 

"Q, R, S, T, U, V..." Gradually, he lowered his first hand so all   
he was supporting has the small of her back. "W, X, Y and Z." Akane   
blinked as she realized the only spot his hands were resting was above   
her rear. "Am I doing it, Ranma?" She glanced at him, her eyes wide. 

He nodded, a smile lighting up his face. "Yup, you are. Spread   
out your arms." She did and slowly he started to move her over the   
water. Her eyes widned even further, and he quickly explained what   
he was doing. "It's easier to float if you move with the water, instead   
of trying to resist it an' stay in one place." She nodded and closed her   
eyes. 

For several minutes he moved her over the top of the water, a   
smile lighting his face as he watched the expression on hers get   
brighter and brighter, and more peaceful as she floated. Soon, he let   
go of her completely, and watched her float upon the waves, rocking   
with the natural movements of the current. "Akane, open your eyes." 

She did, and realized he wasn't by her side anymore. "Ranma?"   
she started to panic, and she sunk under the water, but immediately   
came back up, for the water was only up to her knees. "I was doing it,   
wasn't I? I was floating all by myself!" She fell to her knees in the   
water. 

"Yeah, you were. You're a natural!" He smiled and moved in   
front of her. "I told ya you could do it, ne?" 

"Oh, Ranma! Thank you!" She leapt into his lap, throwing her   
arms around his neck. "You don't know...urk!" Her momentum sent   
them under the water, and both came up within a few moments,   
sputtering, but laughing. 

Ranma had an arm curled around her tight, holding her to his   
chest as they emerged from the once calm waters. He gazed into her   
face, pushing away a few clumps of dripping bangs from her smooth   
forehead. "I do know, Akane." 

She swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat as that   
intense emotion burned bright in his eyes again. "Are...are you going   
to kiss me now, Ranma?" 

He blinked a few times, and then smiled. "Do you want me to?" 

She nodded, and licked her lips, tasting the salty water on   
them. Her eyes wandered over his face, until they were drawn once   
again to his eyes, the churning pools of raw emotion, so full of... "Yes." 

He ducked his head closer, his eyelids slowly falling shut, his   
voice a harsh whisper, "Then, I will." Their salty lips met, a light   
brush of flesh on flesh, tentative in their first true meeting. The   
contact was brief, but the intent was ever-lasting. 

They separated, both having their eyes closed for several   
moments after the inital contact was over. Akane blinked a few times   
rapidly, trying to reorient her cloudy mind. She finally focused on the   
male in front of her, and smiled at the blush spreading over his nose   
and cheekbones. She ducked her head, nestling it in the crook of his   
shoulder. "That was nice, Ranma." 

His arms automatically tightened around her, and he leaned his   
forehead against the crown of her head. "Yeah, it was. I wanted to   
do that for a long time." His voice was husky in his throat. 

They knelt in the chest-deep water, wrapped in each other's   
arms, content to let the waves rock against their still forms. Akane   
was the one to break the embrace as she backed out of his arms.   
"Um, can we try floating, again?" 

"Do you want me to support you again?" 

She nodded shyly. "Until I get my balance." He nodded back   
and put an arm behind her and she slowly leaned against it until she   
was parallel with the water. She felt his hands gently push up her   
legs and hold them there. She closed her eyes and mentally tried to   
relax, counting to herself to help find her center. Gradually, she felt   
his hands leave her, and she doing it on her own again. She opened her   
eyes and saw that he was not next to her again. Her eyes darted   
around and found that he was on his back as well, floating next to her   
as the waves rocked them both. She sighed and let her arms drift   
away from her sides, and soon felt one of his hands clasp around hers.   
She wound her fingers around his own long ones and let the current   
carry them where they needed to be. 

******   



	2. Lesson 2

**Sand Between The Toes**   
**by Gie (phowah@cs.com)**

************* 

_OI!! Oi? Is it actually her? Is she really...alive?? Why yes, it is, and she is! I feel really really bad_   
_that I've not written anything in a gosh darn long time...*winces*...since July....inspiration has struck at an all time low--I want to do a lot of things, but I don't know how to get it down on paper/screen. Also things in the family department have brought me way down, too...so that doesn't help. But I promise, I'm gonna get on track. I **want to** get back on track...just be patient with me, please!___

_But for now, as I restart the ball rolling, here's a new chapter of my pet project. ATTR is my baby, Songfic series is my lover, ((Oi, baka ecchi Gie-chan!!)) but Sand is my pet. *pets it and Sand starts to purr loudly* ((I'm so weird....)) Oh welll...let me know what you think!!___

**_Gie-chan_**   
__ ****

**Sand Between The Toes: Chapter Two**   


******   
The pair stayed in the water until it became too dark to see much of   
anything. For the rest of the night, though, they stayed down at the beach until   
the wee hours of the morning, walking, talking, holding hands and exchanging kisses   
that were slowly, but surely, becoming more and more natural to them. 

The next morning came all to early, and with it came the scorching heat once   
again. 

Kasumi and Nabiki sat in the dining area, waving large bamboo fans, trying to   
give their heated bodies and faces some relief to the sticky air. "It's going to be   
another hot one. I'm glad we decided to stay overnight." 

Kasumi nodded in agreement. "If it is this hot here, I can't imagine what it   
would feel like at home. Maybe we should stay another?" She poured herself and   
Nabiki another glass of ice water. "Are Father and Uncle Saotome awake yet?" 

She glanced over her shoulder, and scrunched up her nose at the snores   
that came from the direction of the guys' room. "Can't you hear them? They're   
dead to the world." 

"So was Akane, when I last checked in on her. Yesterday must have   
exhausted her." 

"Or Ranma did." Kasumi jerked her head up, her dark eyes focusing on   
Nabiki's. "Did you hear them when they came in last night, or actually, this   
morning?" She shook her head. "Neither did I, and Seijitsu dropped me off here   
well after two, and they weren't back then." 

"Sounds like you had fun yourself last night, then." The curl of Kasumi's lips   
was hidden behind the glass of ice water. 

"I had fun, I admit that." Kasumi eyed the true smile Nabiki wore, not the   
smirk she usually had spread across her comely features. "Seijitsu knew all the hot   
spots, that's for sure." 

Soun and Genma stumbled into the room, looking like they just woken up,   
which they did. Both fell into their usual positions around the low table. "Good   
morning, Father, Uncle Saotome," Kasumi greeted them and poured each of them a   
glass of the cool ice water. "Did you sleep well?" 

Soun nodded, rubbing his eyes with one hand, while grabbing for the   
refreshing glass of water with the other. "It took me awhile to fall asleep, but   
after I did, I didn't hear anything. Nothing like the sea to sing a man to slumber,   
ne, Saotome?" 

The large man grunted, squeezing several sliced lemons into the tall glass.   
"Did you hear what time the boy came in?" 

"It was after two, more like after three, since I got back at two and it took   
me a bit to fall asleep," Nabiki answered him. Genma and Soun shared a glance   
between them, and both nodded their heads in silent acknowledgment. 

Kasumi stood up. "I thought we would have a light breakfast here, and then   
we can eat on the boardwalk again later on. Does that sound good to everyone?"   
The other three murmured in agreement. At that moment, Ranma trudged out of   
the room. Kasumi smiled at the very tired-looking young man. "Good morning,   
Ranma. I thought you would sleep later." 

A large, jaw-cracking yawn answered her. "I thought I would, too, until Pops   
decided to use me as a doormat." He leveled a dark blue glare at the larger male.   
He yawned again. "So, what's the plan for today?" 

"Light breakfast here, and then we'll have a big lunch on the boardwalk."   
Nabiki re-iterated the plan for the barely-awake Ranma. She set down her fan on   
the table and Ranma immediately picked it up and waved it in front of his own face.   
"So, did you and Akane have a good time last night?" 

He lazily opened one eye and peered at the middle sister. "Hmm?" 

She sighed and snatched the fan back from his hands, ignoring his protest.   
"I got back really early this morning--and you two weren't even back yet. So, what   
were you doing for half the night?" 

"Uh..." His eyes opened wider at her implications and he shook his head   
wildly at the grinning family members staring at him. "What are ya trying ta say?   
We didn't do nothin'! Why would I wanna do anything with..." He caught the   
disapproving frown spread across Kasumi's face and closed his mouth.   
"Awww...forget it." 

"Nabiki, why don't you help me set the table and bring out the rest of the   
food from the kitchen. Ranma, could you please go and wake up Akane. Can't let   
her sleep the day away." Kasumi stood up and disappeared into the adjoining room. 

"You're lucky this time, Saotome." Nabiki grinned evilly. "Next time,   
though..." She let the threat hang in the air as she stood and followed her sister   
into the kitchen. 

Ranma grumbled to himself as he stood up as well, leaving the fathers to   
mumble to themselves. He moved down the short hallway to the girls' room, talking   
quietly to himself. "Why does Nabiki have to make accusations like that? Always   
trying to make somethin' outta nothin'." He knocked on the door quietly. "Akane?   
Are you awake?" He opened the door a crack and poked his head through the   
opening. "Time to get up, Akane." 

The sleeping girl murmured to herself and flopped over, her back facing the   
pigtailed boy. He sighed and opened the door further, and entered the room. He   
knelt next to the lightly breathing girl and took the opportunity to study the girl   
that he was promised to. His eyes traveled over her small frame, barely covered   
with a light sheet. His gaze started at the slender curve of her shoulder, rolled   
down the gentle slope of her trim side and climbed back up the swell of her hips,   
sliding down the straight, creamy line of her muscled legs, and then retraced its   
steps back up to her mess of blue hair. He let a small smile escape at the beauty   
of his betrothed. He didn't get many chances to study Akane in such a way, since   
things were never this peaceful between them, even when they did get along.   
There was always a father ranting something about joining the schools, or a   
fiancee/rival knocking over the door. The chaos never went away--it just varied in   
level. 

He waited another minute, just watching her side move in rhythm with her   
breathing before shaking her shoulder lightly. "Akane, wake up." 

A small moan escaped her. "Leav...lon...mann...ng." She grabbed the sheet   
and pulled it over her head. 

He blinked a few times, trying to figure out what she said before shaking   
his head. "C'mon, Akane, it's time to get up. I'm hungry." 

"Don't wanna..." he watched as she clutched the sheet tighter. 

An evil smirk made his lips curl as an idea came to him. He leaned close to   
where her ear would be. "If you don't get up now, you'll be sorry." 

The sheet stirred and a blurry brown eye peeked out from under the fabric.   
"What are you going to do?" 

He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows?" He moved to the door and stuck   
his head out before coming back in, shutting the door firmly behind him. He came   
back to where Akane still lay, wrapped up in the sheet and knelt over her. "I just   
might have to resort to this." He gently pulled the cloth out of her slack grip,   
exposing her face. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. His eyes drifted closed   
as he savored the softness of her lips as they meshed in perfect unison. When   
they pulled away, he opened his eyes again to find two half-lidded pools of   
chocolate staring back at him. "G' mornin', Akane." 

A slow grin transformed her sleepy face into a ray of glorious sunshine. "G'   
mornin', Ranma. That's the way you make a girl sorry?" A sound outside the door   
made both snap their heads in its direction. 

Ranma quickly stood up and backed away from the prone Akane. "I'll let you   
get dressed." He slid open the door and peeked outside, but found no one listening   
in the hall. "No one's out here." 

Akane sat up. "For once." 

"Yeah." He turned back to her and gave her a smile. "Hurry up, tomboy."   
She stuck her tongue out as he slid the door closed behind him. 

***** 

After making a stop in the bathroom and then the bedroom, Ranma entered   
the family room with everyone looking expectantly at him. "What?" he said as he   
sat down in his usual spot. 

"Took you long enough." 

"What?" he said defensively, crossing his arms. "I also used the bathroom   
and changed into different clothes." He took a sip of the water in front of him.   
"It's not my fault that the tomboy can't wake up in the morning." 

"Sure, Ranma," Nabiki drawled, rolling her eyes. "I think he doth protest   
too much." 

"Doth what?" 

She waved her hand in dismissal. "Never mind, Shakespeare." She glanced   
up as Akane entered the room. "It's about time, sleepy head. One would think that   
you stayed out all hours of the night." 

She frowned, leveling a glare at her sister as she sat down next to Ranma.   
"Shut up, Nabiki. You're one to talk. You also came home fairly late, yourself." 

"And how would you know that?" 

She pointed up. "We were on the roof." She leaned in and gave her older   
sister a rarely-seen evil smirk. "So, is Seijitsu a good kisser?" Ranma mirrored his   
fiancé's expression. The pair of fathers gave each other identical looks of   
surprise. Kasumi hid her giggle by starting to pass out bowls of rice. 

This time, Nabiki was the one to blush. "Never you mind, Akane." She   
grabbed her bowl from the quietly laughing Kasumi. "You keep to yourself, too." 

The rest of the family dropped all relationship matters as they ate   
ravenously. Soun sighed as he put his bowl down. "Something about the smell of   
salt in the air gets a man's appetite working into high gear, ne, Saotome?" 

"Indeed, Tendo, indeed," Genma agreed. "The fresh smell of the sea in the   
morning does wonders for the soul." Soun made a noise of agreement. 

Kasumi smiled at the fathers and turned her attention to her youngest   
sister, who was looking at the local paper. "So, Akane, did you get your swimming   
lesson last night?" 

Akane jerked her head up, and focused on her sister. "What did you say,   
Kasumi?" 

"I asked you if Ranma gave you your swimming lesson last night." 

A quick glance at the blush across the cheekbones of the male next to her   
made the faint pink turn into a flaring red. "Yes, I did. He taught me how to float!"   
Her excitement was obvious in her bright eyes. "It was fun, just rocking along on   
the top of the water, letting the waves carry me back to shore." 

Soun gave Akane a large smile, nodding. "Very good, Akane! Floating is one   
of the first steps in learning how to swim. Especially since your main problem was   
that your muscle was weighing you down. Good job, Ranma. You'll make a fine   
sensei." The boy in question just mumbled and turned his head away in   
embarrassment. 

Akane blinked. "What do you mean, Dad?" 

"About Ranma being a teacher? Well, when you and he finally take over the   
dojo..." 

She shook her head. "No, Dad, I mean about muscle weighing me down." 

"I told ya you were built like a brick, Akane." Ranma ducked the punch   
meant for his head. 

"What he means, Akane, is that muscle is more dense than fat," Nabiki   
interrupted the little spat, "so the more muscular you are, the better chance you   
have at sinking." She winked at her. "Now all this time you thought Ranma was   
insulting you with that comment. He was complimenting you!" She grinned at the   
heavy blush that spread across the pair before her. "Or he could have meant that   
you have a body shaped like a rectangle." Her smile got wider. "Either or." 

"Nabiki, stop teasing them. Ignore her, Akane, she's just trying to goad you   
into reacting." Kasumi shot the middle sister a glance and Nabiki shrugged genially,   
and left the room to change. She shook her head and turned back to the table.   
"Father, Mr. Saotome, why don't you gather all of the beach gear while Akane   
helps me clean the breakfast table. Ranma, could you tidy up your bedroom, and   
ask Nabiki to clean up in that one, too? Checkout time is in two hours, and we need   
to make sure that everything is in the same state as how we arrived." 

******** 

By the time they were done cleaning and putting everything back where it   
belonged, it was well into mid-morning, and the early morning heat had turned into a   
sauna. They quickly made their way back to the shoreline. And when they got   
there, they discovered the were even more people there than they day before. 

Akane gingerly stepped on the rare spots of sand inbetween the sea of   
multicolored towels and bared bodies. She put a hand up to shade her eyes from   
the burning sun. "Can you see anywhere to set our stuff down? I think every open   
space is completely covered." She picked her way farther down the beach. 

"Well, we would have been here a lot earlier if certain someone's didn't get   
lost for two hours in the bar." She leveled her squinted glare at the two fathers. 

"Have a heart, Nabiki," Soun turned a watery gaze to his middle daughter,   
"it was hot in the rooms." 

But before Nabiki could further berate her father, Akane shouted, "There's   
an open spot over there! Ranma, go!" 

"I'm on it!" The pigtailed boy leapt into the air, vaulting off various picnic   
baskets, coolers, and the occasional beach ball. When he landed in the open area,   
he quickly laid out the towels in his arms, marking their claim. The others slowly   
picked their way through the masses. 

Kasumi set down the picnic basket in her arms. "I will stay here for awhile,   
and read, if everyone else wants to go enjoy the water. I'll watch our things." 

"Are you sure, Kasumi?" Akane asked, shoving a beach umbrella into the   
sand, and opening the brightly colored cloth with a push of a switch. "I can stay   
here, if you want to go swim." 

She shook her head, pulling out a large container of ice tea. "I'm fine,   
Akane." She pointed in the opposite direction they came. "Besides, I think you and   
Ranma are needed somewhere else." 

When Akane turned around to see what her sister was talking about, she   
smiled at the large group of small children from yesterday running in their   
direction. "It looks like we might need to make repairs on the city, from last   
night's tide." She turned to Ranma, a wide grin on her face. "Ready for more sand   
between the toes?" 

He grinned back. "And in the ears and up the nose." He held out his hand,   
and she immediately took it. "C'mon, let's go meet 'em half-way." 

The others watched the pair of martial artists stirred up a sand storm as   
they met the happy children, who immediately surrounded them, dragging them off   
to play once again. Nabiki shook her head. "Do you think they realize what they   
just did?" 

"Not on the outside, I don't think," Kasumi mused. "But inside, I think they   
are fully aware. It's good to see." 

Genma and Soun exchanged a knowing glance. "It's about time they finally   
admitted their feelings out loud. Took them long enough." Genma pulled out a large   
binder overflowing with paper. "So, Tendo, what do you think of a fall wedding?" 

The dark-haired male nodded gravely. "The leaves turning would make an   
excellent backdrop." 

"Father, Uncle Saotome," Kasumi admonished them, "are you forgetting your   
promises? You agreed that if they admitted their feelings before they graduated,   
you would let them go at their own pace, and set the date." 

"But Kasumi, they don't know that." Soun whined. 

"Daddy, think about it," Nabiki crossed her arms. "Would you rather have   
Ranma and Akane be happy on the most important day of their lives? Or would you   
want them upset, being forced into something they aren't ready for? You do   
remember what happened at the last attempt forced upon them." 

"But, the schools..." 

"The schools will be united, Father," the eldest daughter patted her father   
on the shoulders, comforting him. "They're still too young to be worried about such   
responsibilities. Give them a few years to mature a bit more." 

Soun glanced between the two opposing sides: his daughters and his partner   
in plotting. Then he thought about each case scenario. 

He sighed, his eyes become wet with moisture. "I think it would be best to   
let them decide." 

"Good decision, Daddy," Nabiki drawled. She looked around and her eyes   
brightened when she caught sight of a familiar face. "Well, I'm off to see if   
Seijitsu actually knows CPR." She waved as she strolled down the beach, in search   
of her intended prey. 

Genma put an arm around his sobbing friend. "Cheer up, Tendo. Looks like   
we have some spying to do." The crying male perked up at the suggestion, and soon   
they disappeared in the same direction as the middle daughter. 

Kasumi sighed and picked up the large binder shaking her head as she hid it   
back in the picnic basket. "Well, that was a close call." She picked up her book and   
enjoyed the faint breeze. 

******** 

Further down the beach, Ranma and Akane were just finishing up with the   
repairs to their sand-made town and were in the midst of a sandball throwing   
contest with the kids. Which actually meant that everyone was ganging up on the   
hapless Ranma. 

Akane giggled as the pigtailed boy fell under the pressure of four kids   
clinging to his legs. She moved close to his head and pinned his shoulders down.   
"I'll hold him down so you bury him, okay?" 

"Akane! Aww, no fair!" 

She stuck out her tongue, looking at him upside down. "Is too fair, for the   
drowning earlier." 

"Well, I'm not goin' down by myself!" Before she could catch on, he pushed   
his body up with one leg, and grabbed the shocked girl with his arms, flipped her   
around midair before catching her against his chest as they landed in the shallow   
pit made earlier from their digging. The children, now realizing they had two big   
kids to bury, instead of one, quickly doubled their pace, squealing in laughter at the   
feeble protests that spurted in-between heaping pailfulls of wet sand. 

Then they ran away, leaving the pair of buried teenagers to their own means. 

Akane spat out a mouthful of wet sand, grimacing at the taste. "Where'd   
they go?" She tried to look around, but she couldn't bend her head back far   
enough to see around her. It also didn't help that she was buried face down, so all   
she saw was Ranma's grinning face. 'Well, maybe not that bad of a view,' she   
thought to herself, a cheesy smile forming over her features. 

Ranma was thinking along the same lines. They were buried fairly deep, but   
not too far down, so they couldn't get out by shifting around a few times. He was   
enjoying the close and intimate position they were in, but the wet sand was doing   
nothing to cool his inner core as it heated hot with her proximity. He took   
advantage of how close their mouths were, pressing his lips to hers. He savored   
the taste of her, the salt from the seawater mixed in with the slightly sour taste   
of the lemon from the ice tea. He let a groan escape as her tongue brushed against   
his, the pliable muscle dancing across sensitive taste buds. He tightened his grip   
around her, crushing her muscled body to his as lusts quickly overrid the thought   
of being in a public place. 

Akane was also lost in the heady sensation of his warm chest pressed   
against her own. Her fingers curled around the end of his pigtail, tugging slightly   
when she broke their liplock. "Ranma..." 

"What?" He breathed heavily, catching up on lost air. His blue eyes were   
almost purple with barely restrained emotion. They roved her face greedily,   
devouring the heated blush that turned her lightly burned cheeks a darker red.   
"Why'd you stop?" 

She let her head drop slightly, and nipped his chin, following the strong line   
of his profile with light kisses. He closed his eyes, groaning at the assault.   
"Ranma...we're in the middle of a beach, remember?. A public beach." 

He groaned again, shifting slightly, creating cracks in their hard sand shell.   
"Why are you remindin' me? You're the one kissin' me, now." She lifted her head   
and he opened his eyes. "Why'd you stop? I didn't say I minded." 

"Ranma!" She rolled her eyes and let her head flop back down next to his,   
gaining a mouthful of sand in the process. She turned and spat it out again.   
"Stupid sand." She focused her eyes on his profile, his cheek within inches of his   
own. "What if someone saw us?" 

"Like who?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't care if   
some stranger sees." 

"I do! Or what if it's our fathers? We'll be married by the end of the day." 

He sighed and looked back up into the sky. The few puffy clouds that   
floated in the blue expanse slowly turned into the faces of their fathers leering   
down at them. A hard shiver quivered throughout his body and he quickly sat up,   
breaking their cocoon of sand. "Ugh, I just got an awful image." 

"Of what? Me in a wedding dress?" Akane growled, pushing her way out of   
his grasp. She stood up and rubbed herself down, trying to get all the sand off.   
She growled again and stomped down the beach to the water, intent on getting   
clean from the sand. 

"Akane, stop!" He stood up quickly, ignoring the sand pouring from him and   
bolted after her. "You're jumpin' to conclusions! That's not what I meant!" 

"Then what did you mean? That I'd make a horrible wife? That your life is   
over?" She stomped into the water, causing bigger waves than what was crashing   
upon the shore. She waded out to about chest deep and plugging her nose and   
closing her eyes, dunked her head under the water. After a moment, she came   
back up and shook her short hair free of excess water. "That you'd be better off   
with another of the girls?" 

He moved in front of her, grabbing her shoulders so she couldn't turn away.   
"Where in the hell did that all come from? Damn it, Akane, are you going to let me   
explain, now?" She glared at him, tears clouding up the corners of her eyes, but   
she said nothing. He sighed and lowered his hands to her elbows, bringing her   
closer to him. "You're blowin' everything outta proportion, like normal." He let go   
of one arm and poked her in the nose. "Just listen. What I meant is that I   
pictured out fathers leerin' down at us while we were lying there. Nothin' about my   
'life being ruined' or anything stupid like that. I haven't even given any of the other   
girls a thought for a long time." He smiled down at her. "My mind has been   
completely focused on you, for some silly reason." 

She sniffled. "Ranma..." 

"I'm yours, Akane, and you're mine. No one else can fit into this, okay?" He   
wiped away the mixture of tears and seawater from her cheek. "Okay?" His grin   
got bigger when she nodded. "Alright. Now, I think it's my turn to be comforted,   
since you accused me of thinkin' weird stuff." He closed his eyes and faked a   
sniffle. 

She rolled her eyes. "I'll give you a comfort, all right." She pushed him   
backwards and laughed as he floundered around, trying to regain his balance and   
finally fell over backwards, disappearing under the surface. She stopped laughing   
when after a few moments, he didn't come back up. "Ranma?" She looked around,   
trying to spot him amid the murky water. The ground had been stirred up by their   
movements and made the once clear water cloudy with sandy bottom. "Where'd you   
go?" 

A slight tickle on her ankle made her start. "Wha..." was all she got out   
before she was pulled under the water. A second later she re-emerged, spluttering   
out a mouthful of water. "Ranma! Get up here, now!" 

Laughing blue eyes surfaced on her command. "That wasn't funny!" she   
accused him, wiping the stinging saltwater from her eyes. "I could've drowned!" 

"Then I could give you CPR," he slowly rose from the waves, mere inches in   
front of her. "You know, that mouth to mouth lifesaving thing." He moved closer to   
her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her unresisting frame into his embrace. 

She snorted, her dark eyes rolling around at his phrase. "That's a real   
technical term. 'Lifesaving thing.' You should be a doctor." She leaned forward,   
kissing him soundly. "Maybe I better show you how in case you would have to use it   
one day." She wrapped her legs around his waist, returning the embrace. 

"Maybe you better." Ranma chuckled deep in his throat as he enjoyed her   
lips on his. He lowered them into the water so everything but their heads were   
submerged, becoming two dark dots bobbing in the gentle waves.   


***** 

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. Then came the afternoon... 

***** 

Everyone regathered early in the afternoon at their spot of sand, ready and   
eager for lunch. Especially Ranma, who was pacing back and forth in anxiety.   
"Where is she? I'm starving!" 

"Calm down, baka," Akane snorted, brushing out the tangles in her wet hair.   
"She's only a little bit late."   
  
"Well, it's a little bit too long." He stopped pacing for a moment to stare at   
the back of his fiancé, watching as she carefully picked at a snarl, pulling out a bit   
of green seaweed. He grinned as she made a disgusted sound, then resumed his   
pacing. "Come on, Nabiki! Where are you?" 

"I'm right here," the one in question replied, arms crossed as she smirked.   
"The question is, where are you? I thought we were going to meet on the   
boardwalk. Seijitsu is waiting there for us." 

"Finally! I'm starving!" He grabbed Akane's hand and started to run to the   
strip of restaurants, dragging her behind. 

"What's his hurry?" she asked as the fathers walked in front of her and   
Kasumi. 

Kasumi smiled and shook her head. "I think he worked up an appetite playing   
in the sand with Akane earlier." She giggled. "Did you see them get buried by   
their little friends?" 

Nabiki shook her head. "I haven't seen them since we got here. I was with   
Seijitsu the entire time." 

"Will he be joining us for lunch? I thought he was working today?" Kasumi   
gave her sister a knowing smile. "Did he teach you CPR?" 

She nodded, ignoring the look and the last question. "He is working, but it's   
his break right now." 

They reached the spot where Seijitsu, Ranma, and Akane waited for them.   
"Where are we gonna eat?" 

Akane pointed down the strip. "What about the seafood place around the   
corner? I'm in the mood for crab legs." Everyone agreed and as a group, they   
made their way to the restaurant. 

But when they rounded the corner, a swimsuit-clad figure waited for them. 

Everyone stopped suddenly, surprised by the arrival of the familiar face.   
"Hello, Ukyou," Kasumi smiled at the dark-haired girl, "are you here to enjoy the   
cool breeze as well?" 

"Something like that," the girl ground out between clenched teeth. "Ranma,   
I'd like to talk to you, please." 

He glanced at Akane, who shrugged, and they watched everyone else go in.   
Ranma growled when Nabiki called over her shoulder that they weren't going to   
wait for them to order. When it was only the three of them, he asked impatiently,   
"What is it, Ucchan? I'm kinda hungry." 

She crossed her arms. "I thought you were going to Point Beach?" 

"Uh," he glanced at Akane again, but she just rolled her eyes. He wasn't   
going to get any help from her. "I don't remember telling you where we were   
going." 

"You didn't. Nabiki said you were..." Ukyou sighed, rubbing her eyes in   
realization. "Well, I just answered my own question, didn't I?" She looked around.   
"When I realized you weren't at Point, since it was closed for a party, I went to   
some other beaches, thinking that maybe you changed the location. I even came   
here yesterday, but I couldn't find you. So I went back to Nerima, thinking that   
maybe you went home, but you weren't there either." 

Ranma chuckled weakly, "I guess not." His stomach growled loudly, bringing   
his attention back to the main task at hand. Food. "Is there something you   
wanted, Ukyou? 'Cuz I think my stomach is gonna start eating my guts if I don't   
get some food in me soon." Akane rolled her eyes again. 

"Wanted? I, uh..." she blinked a few times, her frustration slowly clearing   
her sight. She looked, really looked at the position of Ranma and Akane, how close   
they were standing next to each other, and then her attention was drawn to their   
clasped hands. "What...what's going on, Ranma?" 

"Going on?" He followed her path of sight to his hand holding Akane's, and   
he swallowed hard. "Um...what do you mean?" He started to let go of her hand, but   
Akane refused to let him, tightening her grip on his fingers. 

"Mean? What do I mean? Stop acting like a girl!" Ukyou's anger returned   
full kilter. "Don't tell me you've finally grown some balls and decided!" 

Ranma's face reddened at the insult. "Who are you to say anything about   
what I decide? It's just that--my decision!" 

"And does your decision end with wanting to be 'just friends'?" she sneered   
at the lame line. "I don't want to hear any crappy excuses, Ranma! You owe me   
everything, are going to marry me, and only me!" 

"Want? You want? I owe...?" His anger started to get the better of him.   
"Do you want the truth? You know what? I do owe you something, and it's the   
truth. I have decided! And it's Akane--it always has been. Not you, not Shampoo   
or any other girl that thinks they can decide my fate for me. And do you know   
why?" Ukyou started to answer, but he cut her off with a sharp arm movement.   
"It's because Akane never demanded or forced anything from me. She never   
demanded I become her husband. She never forced me to come back to her village.   
Never tricked me with stupid plots and magic tricks. The only thing she asked of   
me was to be her friend. Something I thought I already had with you." 

Ukyou's face had gotten paler and paler with his tirade. "But we've been   
friends..." 

"You mean when we were six years old? When I thought you were a boy?"   
He snorted. "Things change and people change, Ukyou. I have never thought of you   
as anything other than a friend, Ukyou. Have I ever said that I want to date you,   
or get closer in any other way than bein' friendly?" 

"You said...you said I was cute..." her voice started to tremble. 

"So what?" His arms flailed around, and Akane had to duck to avoid getting   
whapped in the head. "Does that mean I'm madly in love with you? If I think a dog   
is cute, does that mean I want to marry it? Of course not." He sagged, seeing his   
friend near tears, anger rapidly deflating. "Relationships aren't based on such   
shallow things, Ukyou. They're made from things that are...that are indescribable.   
Things that make your stomach twist, and your heart race. People who force you to   
actually remember to breathe. Your insides ache when they are in sight, and   
they're all you think about when they are gone." 

He sighed and shook his head. "Go home, Ukyou. Go home and find the one   
that makes you feel that way, and do those things. Find someone who will care for   
you in a way that I will never be able to." 

"But, I love you, Ranma." Tears fell down her cheeks. 

"No, you don't, Ukyou. You love...you love the idea of me. How can you go   
from hating me for ten years, to love in a heartbeat? Because I said you were   
cute? It's not possible." His voice was an earnest whisper now. "Go home, Ukyou.   
Please." 

The darkhaired chef stared at the pigtailed boy and the shorthaired girl for   
several heartbeats, then burst into a torrent of tears. She turned and bolted away   
from the pair, a sand storm swirling in her path. When the dust settled, and the   
air was clear, Ukyou was gone. 

***** 

They were silent for several moments, staring off into the mass of brightly   
colored sea of cloth, loking for any sign of the ponytailed girl. Finally, Ranma broke   
the silence with a loud sigh. "I hate myself." 

"Don't say that, Ranma," Akane leaned against his arm, clutching it tight to   
herself. "She needed to hear it that way, or she would have never listened. She'll   
be better off in the long run." 

"I should've done it a long time ago," he sagged against her, curling his arm   
around her body, taking comfort from her presence. "But I sounded so mean.   
She's my friend; I never wanted to hurt her." 

Akane didn't know what else to say, so she just held him as he mulled over   
his outburst. But their attention was brought out of their musings when Ranma's   
stomach reared its ugly head again. He groaned and rubbed the offending spot. "I   
think I'm gonna die if I don't get some food in me soon!" 

Akane chuckled softly, and pulled out of his embrace. "Come on, then. Let's   
go feed the monster." She gave his hand a squeeze and led him inside. 

But as they passed the threshhold, he paused in the doorway, giving the   
beach one last search before following his fiancé inside. 

******* 

Lunch passed fairly quiet, since just about everyone in the restaurant and   
the surrounding area heard the fight. No one commented on it at the table, which   
was a relief to both Ranma and Akane. They really didn't want to explain the   
details of the confrontation, and get the fathers in the mood to discuss wedding   
plans. The fathers, for once, ignored the relationship of Ranma and Akane.   
Instead, they grilled the newest person at the table, Seijitsu. 

The poor boy wasn't prepared for the interrogation, and instead of dying a   
quick death by questioning, he excused himself early, explaining he had to return to   
his job of lifeguarding. He did, though, get a public promise from Nabiki to stop by   
his station to say goodbye before they left. 

Akane and Kasumi immediately teased their sister, taking advantage of the   
blush that highlighted Nabiki's high cheekbones. 

After lunch, they decided to take advantage of the time they had left   
before they needed to meet the train for the ride home. Kasumi and Nabiki   
wandered over to the shops, and the fathers headed straight for the large   
umbrellas set up near a portable bar. 

Akane mentioned that she really didn't know how to swim yet, so grudgingly,   
Ranma agreed to give her the next lesson. 

"But first, I gotta change," he said, pointing to his clothes. 

She was confused. "Change into what?" 

"I think the soap is about to wear off," he explained, heading towards the   
bathrooms and changing area. They stopped by the female side. "Can you check   
and see if anyone is in there?" 

Akane went inside to check, and discovering no one in there, she motioned   
for him to enter. When he went into a shower stall, she left the building to guard   
the door. 

A few minutes later Ranma emerged, wet and female; the same green and   
black-striped swimsuit covering his generous frame. A quick look around noted no   
voyeurs, so he leaned over to peck Akane on the cheek. "Thanks. C'mon, let's go   
teach you how to swim." 

As they made their way into the water, Ranma explained what he was going   
to do. "Okay, we're gonna do this in baby steps, alright? First, show me how you   
can float on your back, without my help." She nodded and did so on the first   
attempt, her legs and arms barely sinking under the surface. 

"Good!" he beamed at her, proud of his student. "Okay, now stay floating,   
and I'm gonna pull you out into a little deeper water. Just under the chin, so don't   
panic, okay?" Akane nodded slightly, not wanting to lose her concentration. She   
could feel the water separating around her head as Ranma towed her out into   
deeper waters by her shoulders. 

"All right. Now, stand up, Akane, I want you to watch me do this first. This   
is called the dead man's float. It's basically the same thing, but the other way   
around, with your face in the water. All ya do is lean forward a bit, with your arms   
loose in front of you and push off gently from the bottom, so your legs dangle in   
the water. Like this." He demonstrated the float for her, letting his legs dangle   
underneath him and his arms float in front of his head. 

Akane watched him rock upon the waves for a monent, then tapped him on   
the shoulder to come back up. "I think I got it," she said. "Like this?" Slowly, she   
stretched herelf out on the water, and with a big gasp of air and a little push of   
her feet, she sank her head and hoisted her legs off the sandy bottom. She did it   
for a few seconds before she started to turn to the side. Immediately she flipped   
herself into an upright position, sputtering a mouthful of water as she resurfaced.   
"Was that right?" 

Ranma laughed, bouncing on his toes in excitement. "Yes, yes! That was   
great, Akane! I can't believe you got it on the first try! Awesome!" 

She beamed at him, excited to get something right. "It was easy! I just   
kept thinking I was in the bath, and not in the sea. It made it a whole lot easier to   
concentrate. Can we do something else?" 

"Sure! I think we can move on." He looked around and spotted something on   
shore. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go get a prop. You practice floating, okay?" 

She watched with envy as he dove under the water and swam rapidly to the   
shore. "Someday, I'll be that fast," she vowed to herself. "But first things first:   
floating." Again, she cleared her mind and thought herself in the bath as she   
dunked her face into the water. 

She got so relaxed she barely felt Ranma tap her on the shoulder. "And I   
was just having fun!" She stared at the large piece of white...foam? "What's   
that?" 

"This is your learning prop," Ranma explained. "It's actually the top to a   
styrofoam cooler, but it will work just as well as anything." He let it go and they   
watched as it bobbed along with the waves. "See, it floats." He grabbed it before   
it got away. "Now, I'm gonna show you how to kick." 

"I already know how to kick." 

He rolled his eyes. "But this is different. This is kicking so you can propel   
yourself in the water, which is completely different than anything else. And now   
your floating lessons are going to come in handy. That's why I taught that to you   
first." 

For the better part of the day, Ranma progressively taught Akane the   
different parts of swimming, not moving on to the next step until she completely   
understood and performed the task. After awhile, the crowd got thinner and   
thinner, and soon they were the just about the only ones left in the water. But   
they did have an audience of four on the shore. 

Soun was creating his own lake to swim in as he watched Ranma patiently   
showing Akane how to coordinate her breathing with her arm strokes. "My little   
girl has finally learned how to swim. What a proud day this is!" 

Nabiki glanced at her wrist, checking the time. "If we don't hurry, we're   
going to be late for the train. We already missed the first two back to Nerima.   
The next one leaves in less than an hour." 

"I suppose it is time to go." Kasumi walked up to the edge of the water and   
cupped her hands to her mouth. "Ranma, Akane, it's time to go home, now." 

Both looked up at the voice and waved their hands. "Hang on a sec," Ranma   
called back. He turned to Akane, and she nodded her head. Ranma yelled out,   
"Okay, everyone, watch this!" 

Five pairs of eyes watched with growing excitement and pride as Akane   
slowly, but surely, did a very splashy front crawl to the shore; Ranma side-crawling   
next to her. And as they reached the end of swimmable water, everyone splashed   
into the shallows, encircling them both with hugs and congratulations for a task   
once thought impossible to complete, but now concquered with impossible spirit and   
determination. 

******* 

As they settled into their seats on the train ride home, Akane snuggled into   
Ranma's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his once again male form. "I can't   
believe I was swimming! You don't know how much I was both dreading and   
anticipating this." 

He nodded his head, smiling down at her. "But you did it. I'm real proud of   
ya, Akane. You did good." 

She grinned back at him. "I had a good teacher, too." 

"Well, I told ya Saotome Ranma never loses, ne?" They both laughed at his   
ego. 

Akane rubbed her face against the warmth seeping from his white tank top,   
yawning tiredly. "Maybe someday I'll be able to go out for the swim team. This   
time, on my own merit." 

"Someday, maybe," he agreed with his own jaw-cracking yawn. "You'll have   
to practice a little bit more, though." 

He ran his fingers through her still damp hair, a silly grin on his face as he   
remembered just all that went on in the past two days. "And you didn't want to   
come to the beach." 

**********************__**

**_There's chapter Two! I don't know if I want to do another--it seemed like a good ending, ne? Maybe if inspiration hits me at some point. **thwack**_****__**

**_^_~ ......ouch.........._****__**

**_Gie-chan_**


End file.
